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Majority of FCC backs Ligado plan for broadband network -sources – Source Reuters Tech News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A majority of the five-member Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to approve an order to allow Ligado Networks’ to deploy a low-power nationwide 5G network despite objections from the Defense Department and major U.S. airlines, two government officials told Reuters.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Thursday circulated a draft order to allow Ligado to use L-Band spectrum, for which it holds some licenses, which came under criticism from some federal agencies and powerful lawmakers.

The L-Band is also used for Global Positioning System (GPS) and other navigation systems because the signals can penetrate cloud cover. The Pentagon also uses the band for military purposes. Bloomberg News reported the vote earlier. The vote will not be final until all members vote.

On Wednesday, Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Jim Inhofe and the panel’s top Democrat, Jack Reed, asked President Donald Trump to bar Ligado from moving forward, citing interference…

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Source Reuters Tech News

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